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YOU SHOW STEELY SELF-RESTRAINT ORDERING A PASTA SALAD INSTEAD OF A BURGER, BUT WHAT IF WE TOLD YOU THE BURGER IS PROBABLY BETTER FOR YOU? FABULOUS NUTRITIONIST ANITA BEAN REVEALS THE HEALTHY FOODS THAT ARE NOT AS VIRTUOUS AS THEY SEEM

1. PASTA SALAD

It’s the ‘salad’ in the name that fools people. But invariably pasta salad bowls contain minimal vegetables and a stack of fat. They’re also often mostly full of white pasta, which gives you a huge hit of processed carbohydrates so you’ll just end up starving a few hours later.

Swap for: A wholemeal houmous salad sandwich, which contains a good range of nutrients that will keep you satisfied for hours.

2. CALIFORNIA ROLLS

Despite sushi’s reputation as a diet food, California rolls – which are full of crab, avocado, and mayonnaise – are high in fat. And when served with soy sauce, they’re high in salt too.

Swap for: Salmon, tuna or prawn nigiri – small parcels of rice topped with raw fish which are very low in fat. Serve with a low-salt soy sauce.

3. OAT CEREALS

Breakfast cereal makers have jumped very quickly on the oats-as-a-health-food bandwagon, but beware. A recent survey showed that some crunchy oat cereals contained so much fat and sugar, you might as well eat the equivalent weight of chocolate biscuits.

Swap for: Porridge made with whole rolled oats is more filling and nutritious.

4. CEREAL BARS

Manufacturers often claim cereal bars are full of goodness – oats, fruit and honey for example – but they are packed with sugar too. Sold as healthy breakfasts on the run, it’s more like starting your day with a can of cola. Many are also high in obesity-causing hydrogenated fat.

Swap for: Two pieces of brown toast with low-fat spread. Top with Marmite and the B vitamins it contains can boost your mood and stop you comfort eating.

5. RICE CAKES

They’re only 30 calories a cake, but all you’re eating is rice and salt with little nutritional value. They have a high GI and play havoc with your blood sugar, leaving you starving an hour later.

Swap for: Rye crackers full of minerals and filling fibre.

6. YOGHURT

Low fat yoghurts often feature in weight-loss diets, but make sure you read the label! To give the yoghurt flavour, some makers pack them with sugar and sweetened fruit - so they could be sweeter than ice cream!

Swap for: Plain non-fat yoghurt and add your own fresh fruit

7. LETTICE

It's thought of as a great diet food because of the low calorie count, but apart from water and a little potassium, there's not much else going for lettuce.

Swap for: Watercress. An average portion (80g) will give you 42% of your daily vitamin A needs and 100% of your daily vitamin C.

8. DIET DRINKS

They may be zero calories, but they don't have zero effect on your waistline. Studies show people who consume lots of diet drinks have the highest intake of calories because the drinks only encourage high sugar intake later in the day.

Swap for: Mineral water. Drinking eight glasses a day helps fight hunger pangs and aids digestion.

9. FRUIT JUICE

There's more sugar in a glass of fruit juice than in a glass of coke, which isn't good news for your teeth or blood sugar levels. Although it may appear healthy because it uses the word 'fruit', those juices made from concentrate contain no fibre and are not 100% fruit.

Swap for: A pure juice made entirely from fruit, or better still, make your own fruit smoothie!

10. FAT-FREE SALAD DRESSING

When fat comes out of a dressing, sugar goes in. Plus, because many vegetables are fat soluble, taking the fat away from the dressing means fewer of the salad nutrients will be absorbed into your body.

Swap for: A dressing made with two parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar.

Photography: Photolibrary.com, Alamy